Sounding toy vehicle with animated figure



Dec. 17, 1968 H. w. FAIRBAIRN SOUNDING TOY VEHICLE WITH ANIMATED FIGURE Filed June 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s Q Q" R E Mm NA 5% I mm l A F w Hpmm Dec. 17, 1968 H. w. FAlRBAlRN SOUNDING TOY VEHICLE WITH ANIMATED FIGURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 13, 1966 INvENToE 1 H- w. FAARBAHRN AmranaY:

United States Patent 3,416,258 SOUNDING TOY VEHICLE WITH ANIMATED FIGURE Howard William Fairbairn, Dallington, Northampton, England, assignor to The Mettoy Company Limited Filed June 13, 1966, Ser. No. 557,119 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 21, 1966, 17,507/ 66 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-99) ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE The invention provides a toy vehicle in which is simulated the effect of a figure periodically appearing at a side opening of the vehicle, this appearance being accompanied by a sudden noise. 'For example, the figure may represent a gunman, and the sudden noise may simulate a gun shot. The figure is formed as the upper part of a member which can pivot at its lower end about a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and is operable by a manual plunger which acts through the intermediary of a leaf spring having a reversible embossing. Operating movement of the plunger causes the spring to flex and move the figure from a retracted position to an exposed position, and the embossing to reverse suddenly. A second figure may be linked to the first so as to move together with it, under the control of the plunger and control means.

The invention relates to toy vehicles and has as its primary object the provision of a toy vehicle whose play value is enhanced by having a figure which can be moved at will by the child or other user of the toy from a retracted position within the vehicle body to a position in which the figure is exposed at an opening in the vehicle body.

Further objects as well as advantages and constructiona1 details of the invention will appear from the following description thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional side view showing a car in accordance with the invention with the models and their operating linkages removed;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing spring biassing means and the pair of model human figures;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view showing the spring, one of the models and the linkages between the spring and the model;

FIGURE 4 is another cross sectional view showing the linkages between the models of the pair.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a toy car comprising a body 1 and road wheels 2. Projecting through the roof of the passenger compartment 3 of the vehicle, is a downwardly depressible plunger 4. The plunger is depressible against the resilience of a relatively wide leaf spring 5 (see particularly FIGURE 2). The leaf spring 5 is resiliently bowed over an upstanding rib 6 serving as a fulcrum and is secured by a dependent boss 7 passing through an aperture 8 in the spring 5. The end of the leaf spring 5 remote from the plunger 4 is located in a slot 10 in the box-section chassis 23.

The leaf spring 5 has a central embossed portion 11 of a curvature concave with respect to the rest of the spring, this central region being defined by ribs or notches at its extremities. The purpose of the embossed portion 11 will be described subsequently.

The leaf spring has its end engaged with a lever 12 (see FIGURES 2 and 3) which has a double crank in the vertical sense and a single in the horizontal. More specifically the spring 5 has a tag 13 extending over the lever ice 12 and a corner region 14 under the lever 12. The lever 12 ispivoted at 15. The lever 12 at its downwards or anticlockwise limit of travel is adapted at its enlarged end 24 for engagement with a cam 16 rigid with the base of a model 17 which represents a man with an outstretched arm 18 holding a weapon pointed rearwardly with respect to the vehicle. The model 17 is carried by a square subframe 19 whose lower cross-member is pivotally mounted at 20 so as to be rockable sideways as shown in FIG- URE 3. Thus the model 17 is rockable between the seated position shown at the left hand side of FIGURES 3 and 4, and a position where the model is prominently exposed with its head and arm out of the window (see with respect to another model the right hand model in FIGURE 4). At the upper part of its stroke, the part 21 of the lever 12 co-operates with the inclined flat 22 on the model to urge the model clockwise until the shoulder of the model presses against the upper part of the vehicle chassis 23 in the manner shown in FIGURE 3.

The operation of the toy is as follows:

The plunger 4 is normally upwardly biassed by the leaf spring 5 to the position shown in FIGURE 1 where the model 17 appears to be seated. When the plunger 4 is downwardly depressed the leaf spring 5 moves downwardly and removes the spring bias from the model. The leaf spring then engages the lever 12 and moves it downwardly and anticlockwise until the end 24 of the lever engages the cam 16 to rock the model 17 outwardly so that its arm with the weapon is pointed rearwardly out of the window. As the leaf spring 5 is depressed downwardly, the central embossed portion 11 bows upwards suddenly and strikes ribs 26 on the underside of the upper part of the chassis 23 to give a sharp noise which when amplified by the chassis box simulates the sound of a gun shot. The plunger is now at the lowest point of its travel and the model 17 is prominently exposed at the vehicle window.

When the plunger is released the leaf spring 5 moves upwardly by virtue of its resilience and at the upper part of its travel moves, by cooperation between the fiat 22 and the part 21 of the lever 12, the model 17 back to its seated position where it is firmly located by the action of the leaf spring biassing the model against the chassis.

A further feature of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings.

Here it will be seen that the model 17 is linked to a further model 25 at the left hand side of the vehicle. The linkage is achieved by a tie rod 29 pivoted at 27 and 28 at its ends to models 17 and 25. The linkage is such that, as can best be seen in FIGURE 4, when the model 17 is biassed to its seated position the model 25 is biassed to lean out of the window and vice versa.

The model described with reference to the drawings represents criminals firing rearwardly from a pursued car. In this case the plunger 4 is a model of a rearward viewing periscope. The invention can be applied to other kinds of models. For example, it could be applied to a toy police car in which case the plunger 4 would represent a flashing light. In the case of a police car moreover, the models of policemen would fire forward.

I claim:

1. Toy vehicle comprising a body having a side opening therein, a member having an upper portion representing a human figure and a lower end, means pivotally connecting said lower end to the exterior of said body for movement about an axis extending longitudinally of said vehicle between a retracted position in which said figure appears to be seated in said vehicle and an exposed position in which said figure leans out of said side opening, a leaf spring in said body normally biassing said member toward its retracted position but urging said member into its exposed position when flexed, said leaf spring having noise simulating means comprising an embossed portion adapted to reverse its curvature suddenly and cause a noise simulating a gun shot when said spring is flexed, and a plunger mounted on said vehicle body and manually operable to flex said spring, thereby to cause said member to move to said exposed position and to reverse the said embossed portion of said spring.

2. Toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second side opening in said vehicle body, and a second pivatable member having an upper portion representing a human figure and movable between a retracted position and an exposed position with respect to said second side opening, and link means interconnecting said members for movement together under the control of said plunger and said leaf spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1919 Dodson 46-107 1/ 1922 Hartleb et a1 46-146 XR 8/1922 Budin 46-145 XR 7/ 1925 Brandt 46-107 5/ 1938 Berger 46-145 XR 9/1940 Cohn 46-175 8/1949 Karwacki 46-145 XR 9/1959 Bonanno 46-218 XR 3/1966 Doe 46-107 US. Cl. X.R. 

